In wireless broadband-type networks, such as a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX)-type network or a Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)-type network, mobile stations may enter into an idle mode in order to conserve battery power. In idle mode, the MS does not perform active communications with the base station. While in an idle mode, a mobile station may periodically listen to communications from a base station to determine whether any data is available for the mobile station. If no data is available, the mobile station may remain in idle mode for increasingly longer periods of time until data is available. If data becomes available while the mobile station is in idle mode, a paging controller may page the mobile station to awaken from the idle mode so that data may be transferred to the mobile station. In some situations, the mobile station may be running a client program in which it may be connected with a remote application in the Internet, for example, an instant messaging (IM) type application or a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP)-type application. In such arrangements, the remote application may send period keep-alive packets in response to which the mobile station may reply back with its current Internet Protocol (IP) address so that the remote application will know where to transmit any incoming data when communication with the mobile station is desired. Such keep-alive pings may, however, disrupt the idle mode of the mobile station and may consume wireless bandwidth resources for paging the MS as well as decrease the battery life of the mobile station if the mobile station is required to continuously transition back and for the between an idle mode and a connected mode merely to provide keep-alive responses to the remote application, especially in which, for example, a paging controller is used to page the mobile station to awaken the mobile station from idle mode to respond to every keep-alive ping.
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and/or clarity of illustration, elements illustrated in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, if considered appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding and/or analogous elements.